"The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing!"
(enough said)
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Dirty. Filthy. Covered with the dust from the streets, the feet of the disciples were left black and sore with cuts as they entered the room for the last supper. It was a servant’s job to wash the feet of those entering the house, but no servant was to be found. Reclining next to each other as they ate at the dinner table, Jesus laid aside his outer garments, took up a towel, and carried the basin of water over to Simon Peter. One by one Jesus, the Son of God, humbled himself to wash the grime and dirt off of the feet of each man.
Can you imagine sitting there at the dinner table as God washed the mud off of your feet? The task, however disagreeable, had to be done and only Jesus took the initiative to see it accomplished. It was out of love that he performed the service of a slave.
Later on in the evening, Jesus continued his ministry and proclaimed, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love another,” (John. 13.34).
How did Jesus love? He had just given an example of his love at dinner by washing the disciple’s feet. If you have any doubt that it was an example of love, go back to verse 15, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”
Jesus is calling all people to have this same kind of love...
A love that initiates when others sit back.
A love that humbles you to face what may seem unlovely and serve position underneath you.
A love that acts in the knowledge of another’s impure motives or betrayal.
A love that cleanses.
Among a group of men who quarreled over greatness, Jesus set the example of service instead of strife.
Loving a person isn’t always easy. If any person has a reason to withhold love, it is Jesus. He see’s the unlovely in a person and nothing is hidden from his sight, yet he loves unconditionally. This love served others by putting a person before himself. Men and women, that is the love that God is calling us to show. It won’t always be easy, but it is always worth it. And when you do, God is glorified. Verse 35 says, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
In a self-serve world, service stands out. Love for other people is a witness to the ungodly. In this season of “love,” set the example to others. With those around you, whether friends or strangers, show love by taking the initiative to humble yourself and cleanse people. Put others before yourself and let God shine!
Can you imagine sitting there at the dinner table as God washed the mud off of your feet? The task, however disagreeable, had to be done and only Jesus took the initiative to see it accomplished. It was out of love that he performed the service of a slave.
Later on in the evening, Jesus continued his ministry and proclaimed, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love another,” (John. 13.34).
How did Jesus love? He had just given an example of his love at dinner by washing the disciple’s feet. If you have any doubt that it was an example of love, go back to verse 15, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”
Jesus is calling all people to have this same kind of love...
A love that initiates when others sit back.
A love that humbles you to face what may seem unlovely and serve position underneath you.
A love that acts in the knowledge of another’s impure motives or betrayal.
A love that cleanses.
Among a group of men who quarreled over greatness, Jesus set the example of service instead of strife.
Loving a person isn’t always easy. If any person has a reason to withhold love, it is Jesus. He see’s the unlovely in a person and nothing is hidden from his sight, yet he loves unconditionally. This love served others by putting a person before himself. Men and women, that is the love that God is calling us to show. It won’t always be easy, but it is always worth it. And when you do, God is glorified. Verse 35 says, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
In a self-serve world, service stands out. Love for other people is a witness to the ungodly. In this season of “love,” set the example to others. With those around you, whether friends or strangers, show love by taking the initiative to humble yourself and cleanse people. Put others before yourself and let God shine!
Category:
Jesus,
love
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With Valentine's Day fast approaching , I have been thinking about love. What does it look like? How and who do we show it to? What does God say about love?
I'm excited about a devotional I will post next Friday about love...so check back in. But today I wanted to pose a question for you. To get the wheels in your mind turning.
When you walk into a room, the question you shouldn't be asking yourself is, "Do these people love me?" The question you should be asking yourself is,
"Do these people know that I love them?"
Remember that as you go into your church, your workplace, your home, the doctors office, the grocery store, etc. It's not always easy, to love. But love is a decision.
Whether it's a room full of strangers or a place filled with old friends, love is the greatest thing you can give them. Can show them.
Decide to love, no matter how you are feeling: it may be you're down, it may be you're up. Our feelings can't control our disposition like that. The presence we bring shouldn't be affected by our day. Because Scripture says love never fails.
Decide to show God's love, to show genuine love each day. Like I said, it will not always be easy. At times the flesh will want to be irritable and rude, but the flesh must bow down to the Spirit. And the Spirit loves. Now go love the people in your world and offer the greatest of these.
I'm excited about a devotional I will post next Friday about love...so check back in. But today I wanted to pose a question for you. To get the wheels in your mind turning.
When you walk into a room, the question you shouldn't be asking yourself is, "Do these people love me?" The question you should be asking yourself is,
"Do these people know that I love them?"
Remember that as you go into your church, your workplace, your home, the doctors office, the grocery store, etc. It's not always easy, to love. But love is a decision.
Whether it's a room full of strangers or a place filled with old friends, love is the greatest thing you can give them. Can show them.
Decide to love, no matter how you are feeling: it may be you're down, it may be you're up. Our feelings can't control our disposition like that. The presence we bring shouldn't be affected by our day. Because Scripture says love never fails.
Decide to show God's love, to show genuine love each day. Like I said, it will not always be easy. At times the flesh will want to be irritable and rude, but the flesh must bow down to the Spirit. And the Spirit loves. Now go love the people in your world and offer the greatest of these.
Category:
love
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Romans 8.31-39 (ESV),
"If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
"For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Love is God's greatest gift, but one we often find difficult to receive. Why do you think that is? We crave to be loved, and we are unconditionally by our God, yet the very thing we crave, we hide from. Perhaps is goes back to Adam and Eve, after they had sinned. Knowing they had failed, they hid from their Creator.
One thing I absolutely am drawn to in this particular passage is one of the first verses, "If God is for us." That sentence literally translates to, "Since God is for us." Without a doubt, hands down, it's as if God is leaving no room for question of how he feels towards us. It's decided. God has chosen, and will always chose, to be with His children. Those believers who live in relationship with Him.
The passage continues with "graciously give." This phrase actually translates, "to bestow out of grace." Paul often uses it denote forgiveness. Continuing with "all things," this entire sentence suggests that God forgives every sin we commit.
John MacArthur commented on verse 32, "God's unlimited forgiveness makes it impossible for a believer to sin himself out of God's grace."
If God gave His Son for us, He will give us everything we need.
There is a lot we could explore in these nine verses, but to do so would take much time and blog space. But what I hope you would see is that God loves you unconditionally, forgives unconditionally, and always provides.
Verse 39 says that nothing can separate us from the love of God. That means that there is nothing that we could do, or anybody else could do to us, that would stop God from loving us.
Take with you today this passage from Romans 8. There is no need that God doesn't want to provide for. There is no sin a Christian could commit that God doesn't want to forgive. And the thing you crave the most, He cho0ses to eternally pour out on you without reserve.
"If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
"For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Love is God's greatest gift, but one we often find difficult to receive. Why do you think that is? We crave to be loved, and we are unconditionally by our God, yet the very thing we crave, we hide from. Perhaps is goes back to Adam and Eve, after they had sinned. Knowing they had failed, they hid from their Creator.
One thing I absolutely am drawn to in this particular passage is one of the first verses, "If God is for us." That sentence literally translates to, "Since God is for us." Without a doubt, hands down, it's as if God is leaving no room for question of how he feels towards us. It's decided. God has chosen, and will always chose, to be with His children. Those believers who live in relationship with Him.
The passage continues with "graciously give." This phrase actually translates, "to bestow out of grace." Paul often uses it denote forgiveness. Continuing with "all things," this entire sentence suggests that God forgives every sin we commit.
John MacArthur commented on verse 32, "God's unlimited forgiveness makes it impossible for a believer to sin himself out of God's grace."
If God gave His Son for us, He will give us everything we need.
There is a lot we could explore in these nine verses, but to do so would take much time and blog space. But what I hope you would see is that God loves you unconditionally, forgives unconditionally, and always provides.
Verse 39 says that nothing can separate us from the love of God. That means that there is nothing that we could do, or anybody else could do to us, that would stop God from loving us.
Take with you today this passage from Romans 8. There is no need that God doesn't want to provide for. There is no sin a Christian could commit that God doesn't want to forgive. And the thing you crave the most, He cho0ses to eternally pour out on you without reserve.
Category:
love,
romans
0
comments
"But you, O God, are both tender and kind, not easily angered, immense in love, and you never, never quit." Psalm 86.15
I at times will randomly, or thoughtfully, send this verse to friends. It has the power to be encouraging all the time, and often, exactly what somebody needs to hear. It doesn't hurt to hear about the love of God every once and a while, and this one is a great example of the many different kinds of love God shows us.
I don't plan of adding as much commentary to a passage as I am accustomed to doing here on Fridays. I believe these words are powerful enough all by themselves to shake you and move you. To show you different facets of His love without my help
Tender and kind. Our God is compassionate. His love is good to us.
Not easily angered. His love is forgiving and gracious.
Immense. His love is vast and eternal.
Never quits. Our God never gives up on us. Nothing can separate us from His love.
C.H. Spurgeon commented on Psalm 86,
"God's love assumes many forms, and is lovely in them all."
I at times will randomly, or thoughtfully, send this verse to friends. It has the power to be encouraging all the time, and often, exactly what somebody needs to hear. It doesn't hurt to hear about the love of God every once and a while, and this one is a great example of the many different kinds of love God shows us.
I don't plan of adding as much commentary to a passage as I am accustomed to doing here on Fridays. I believe these words are powerful enough all by themselves to shake you and move you. To show you different facets of His love without my help
Tender and kind. Our God is compassionate. His love is good to us.
Not easily angered. His love is forgiving and gracious.
Immense. His love is vast and eternal.
Never quits. Our God never gives up on us. Nothing can separate us from His love.
C.H. Spurgeon commented on Psalm 86,
"God's love assumes many forms, and is lovely in them all."
Category:
encouragement,
love,
psalms
1 comments
Ephesians 5.1-2,
"Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that."
I started bolding parts of these two verses that I particularly liked, but then I realized I had most of it bolded. Sort of takes away from the emphasis, huh? Haha! But the point is, it's good stuff!
Paul is encouraging us to look at God, to watch him, and to copy what He is doing. As children study and copy their parents, we must study and copy our Father. We can see the works and moves of God throughout the Bible, but we can also see Him working today. I know that I want to be where God is working. And God is working to build His Church. To expand His Kingdom.
More personally, God is working in the lives of every individual person, and He does it in love. Isn't that what the verse says above, that mostly what God does is LOVE.
What do you mostly do?
Work.
Play.
Bitter.
Unforgive.
What drives you? Is it to love others? I know I can use a lot of work in that. But the great thing is, we don't have to love on our own. Paul says keep company with God and you'll learn a life of love. How wonderful is that?!
Spend time with God, allowing God to love you and you loving back, and God will pour His love into you so much that it overflows into other lives. His love is a love that overflows.
Verse 2 says that Christ didn't love cautiously, but extravagantly! Wow.
I'm going to be a bit vulnerable with you right now. Loving is hard for me. At least outwardly. I didn't grow up in the most loving environment, although my parents did their best considering what they knew in the world. And more than that, I'm an independent kind of girl. So couple the hurt and determination to never be hurt again, I put up some big walls around me.
It hasn't been until perhaps the last six months that God is working in me and through me in big ways. There was a time it was literally the most difficult thing for me to tell someone I love them, even my parents. Or to show affection, that was very difficult. But I'm learning that God loves extravagantly, and I want to be like that.
I wanted to love someone once I felt safe to do so; I wanted to hold back love until I knew that person wouldn't hurt me. But that's not possible, so I have had to learn (and am still learning) to love without expecting in return. I loved very cautiously so that I wouldn't get hurt, but love is taking that risk. If you're not risking it, how much love can really be there?
A pastor not long ago told me that ministry is a people business. That as people called into vocational ministry, it is our business to love. He then proceeded to tell me that if I wasn't willing to be vulnerable, I wouldn't succeed. If I wasn't willing to risk loving and being hurt, I wasn't going to make it. I think that principle applies for everybody though. Because really, we are all called into ministry; it just looks different for every person.
Paul says Christ loved not to get something from us, but to give of himself. I just want to chew on those words for a moment, don't you? To love someone in a way that if they never gave us anything back in return, we would still love them extravagantly.
Who is in your world that you can love? Someone you have perhaps been withholding your active love from. We must (and I say this to myself probably more than anyone else) learn to love like crazy those in our life, even if they never return it. That is love. The love God is calling us to show.
"Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that."
I started bolding parts of these two verses that I particularly liked, but then I realized I had most of it bolded. Sort of takes away from the emphasis, huh? Haha! But the point is, it's good stuff!
Paul is encouraging us to look at God, to watch him, and to copy what He is doing. As children study and copy their parents, we must study and copy our Father. We can see the works and moves of God throughout the Bible, but we can also see Him working today. I know that I want to be where God is working. And God is working to build His Church. To expand His Kingdom.
More personally, God is working in the lives of every individual person, and He does it in love. Isn't that what the verse says above, that mostly what God does is LOVE.
What do you mostly do?
Work.
Play.
Bitter.
Unforgive.
What drives you? Is it to love others? I know I can use a lot of work in that. But the great thing is, we don't have to love on our own. Paul says keep company with God and you'll learn a life of love. How wonderful is that?!
Spend time with God, allowing God to love you and you loving back, and God will pour His love into you so much that it overflows into other lives. His love is a love that overflows.
Verse 2 says that Christ didn't love cautiously, but extravagantly! Wow.
I'm going to be a bit vulnerable with you right now. Loving is hard for me. At least outwardly. I didn't grow up in the most loving environment, although my parents did their best considering what they knew in the world. And more than that, I'm an independent kind of girl. So couple the hurt and determination to never be hurt again, I put up some big walls around me.
It hasn't been until perhaps the last six months that God is working in me and through me in big ways. There was a time it was literally the most difficult thing for me to tell someone I love them, even my parents. Or to show affection, that was very difficult. But I'm learning that God loves extravagantly, and I want to be like that.
I wanted to love someone once I felt safe to do so; I wanted to hold back love until I knew that person wouldn't hurt me. But that's not possible, so I have had to learn (and am still learning) to love without expecting in return. I loved very cautiously so that I wouldn't get hurt, but love is taking that risk. If you're not risking it, how much love can really be there?
A pastor not long ago told me that ministry is a people business. That as people called into vocational ministry, it is our business to love. He then proceeded to tell me that if I wasn't willing to be vulnerable, I wouldn't succeed. If I wasn't willing to risk loving and being hurt, I wasn't going to make it. I think that principle applies for everybody though. Because really, we are all called into ministry; it just looks different for every person.
Paul says Christ loved not to get something from us, but to give of himself. I just want to chew on those words for a moment, don't you? To love someone in a way that if they never gave us anything back in return, we would still love them extravagantly.
Who is in your world that you can love? Someone you have perhaps been withholding your active love from. We must (and I say this to myself probably more than anyone else) learn to love like crazy those in our life, even if they never return it. That is love. The love God is calling us to show.
Category:
love
0
comments
